Comments on: Fancy dancers rule in Rudd’s summit of the elites

By: Margaret Simons

Margaret Simons — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I think Jeff makes some good points here. There IS something anti-democratic about appointing people to work out big ideas. Once we trusted the parliamentary process to fulfil that function. The summit is in part an acknowledgement of the fact that the standard political forums have become at once professionalised (not many shearers on Labor’s front bench these days) and debased.

Nevertheless, having accepted that, I still think that an event that encourages the nation to lift its horizons has strong justification. I hope that the local forums will go some way to overcoming the elitist overtones. I also hope the media reports on them!

By: Lucy

Lucy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Crikey. We get it, ok? You don’t like 20:20. It’s elitist, it’s wanky, it’s causing potential conflicts of interests for media organisations, it’s pointless. We get it. Have done for some time. This kind of harping does not become you.

Meanwhile, Sparrow seems to miss the point that it was EXACTLY BECAUSE “the elites” - ie the people running the show - cottoned on to land rights, multiculturalism, feminism etc that the aims of these movements became incorporated into public policy. I suppose we could have left feminism as a grassroots movement and preserved its populist integrity, but I for one prefer having my rights enshrined in the anti-discrimination act, even if Hanson voters don’t like it. Likewise, would you really prefer that environmentalism was still a hippie beatnik cause or would you prefer we used legislation to address environmental issues? You can be forgiven a little nostalgia for the “movements”, but you shouldn’t shy from their successes.

By: Ian Smith

Ian Smith — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

You are certainly right that the 1978’ers did not view the illegal actions and thuggery of the NSW Police as a privilege. We saw it as an outrage! particularly the fact that the Police officers involved had removed their identifying badges beforre commiting their criminal acts. We fought the bastards then, and if necessary we will fight the bastards again. I well remember the comment by Nifty the next day, “We gave them the street for one night. What more do they want?” Well as he found out when we camped outside his house, a hell of a lot more. I still find it hard to believe that nearly 30 years after that event, gay and lesbian people are STILL denied equality before the Law.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

This whole thing reminds me of something that b*m Bill Clinton - when he was Pres - said once: ‘there’s not much difference between me and the average guy, very little’ So what is that little thing? 70% of Aussies have seriously limited academic education - quite possibly wise in many other ways though, emotionally, practically, socially, or self taught even academically. But where is the trust between those with different gifts/talents? You don’t go to a mechanic for brain surgery or VICE VERSA! As for elites, Merkel’s analysis (Larvatus Prodeo) and my list of omissions (about 20) for the sustainabilily list (+ Dr Kate Short is another I missed) shows it’s a subjective exercise. Which brings us back to trust, which must be earned.

By: Daniel Ashdown

Daniel Ashdown — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I personally have no problem with the summit if it is elitist. Let the educated and the rational have some time in the spotlight. It is only fair for Australians to get a break from the barrage of dumbed-down celebrity tabloid stories, and the constant bleating of populist, know-nothing commentators constantly warning us about ‘ivory-tower academics’ and telling us ‘how it is in the real world’. Sparrow is right that nobody elected these elites, they got to where they are through hard work and dedication, something the ‘right’ should admire, not denigrate. We should be celebrating that we have so many brilliant minds in this country, not complaining that they have been invited to the summit over Joe Bloggs the ditchdigger down the road.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

“After the grim experience of the last ten years, you’d think that Australian public intellectuals would know better than to participate in an anti-democratic event that simply confirms the old “fancy dancing” canard.”

If it is a canard (=lie) how is it possible to confirm it? If it has been confirmed, it was never a lie…